Grim Assessment of McGuinty Gov't Health Care

[Michael Hardner]

They are increasing at very similar rates yes, although the US has increased faster than Canada, Germany, Switzerland, or the UK.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Health_care_cost_rise.PNG

Thats shows Canada following roughly the same increase as switzerland, austria, germany, the uk, etc.

I wonder what these nations have in common, then, to have their healthcare costs increase so similarly ?

Edited December 20, 2010 by Michael Hardner

[dre]

I wonder what these nations have in common, then, to have their healthcare costs increase so similarly ?

Theres a couple of obvious things that come to mind.

All of them had at least SOME sort of post ww2 baby boom. All of them are countries that have generally high production costs for products and services.

[Michael Hardner]

Theres a couple of obvious things that come to mind.

All of them had at least SOME sort of post ww2 baby boom. All of them are countries that have generally high production costs for products and services.

But not all of them hate a baby boom. You can't tell from the graph. It may just be a result of the general economic boom since 1970 that people can pay more for things that are so important. Does that make sense ?

[dre]

But not all of them hate a baby boom. You can't tell from the graph. It may just be a result of the general economic boom since 1970 that people can pay more for things that are so important. Does that make sense ?

Yup it does. To be honest I dont think you can pin down one single reason. Theres lots of factors in play. But when you compare prices with up and coming markets the price differences are so staggering that its pretty easy to see thats how big price reductions could happen. Maybe you could "tweak" our system and slow things down a bit, but if you want to make a real diference the government has to start value shopping. They should start by studying the services at various facilities around the world, and deciding which ones are good enough (JCI is probably a good start), and start allowing patients to have procedure done abroad on a voluntary basis, and giving them a check for 1/2 of what they saved our system.

This would relieve the burden on our system right away, and it would reduce the demand for medical professionals here which over time would lower the cost.

People have to wise up. We were outraged that the government didnt put a 10 billion dollar aircraft contract out for global tender but we sit idily by while they do the same thing with hundreds of billions of dollars worth of healthcare expenditures.

But not all of them hate a baby boom.

I was wondering about that! I couldnt remember if all of western europe had the same post WW2 baby boom or not, and I could find good information on it in less than 30 seconds so I stopped trying. My claim that all those countries had baby booms might in fact be incorrect.

Theres a bit of information here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-World_War_II_baby_boom. It first mentions only four countries, but then it lists these countries as having a Post WW2 increase in birth rates as well.

France 1946–1974

United Kingdom 1946–1974

Finland 1945–1950

Germany 1955-1967

Sweden 1946–1952

Denmark 1946–1950

Netherlands 1946–1972

Ireland 1946–1982

Hungary 1946-1957

Iceland 1946–1969

New Zealand 1946–1961

Australia 1946–1961

Edited December 20, 2010 by dre

[Michael Hardner]

"hate" should read "have"...

[dre]

"hate" should read "have"...

Hmmmmm. I interperated it as "had".

Freudian slip Mike? Not fond of children?

[Michael Hardner]

Hmmmmm. I interperated it as "had".

Freudian slip Mike? Not fond of children?

No, I never have had hated half-pint humans.